


A Favour and a Price

by katajainen



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: (some - see happy ending tag), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, M/M, Pining, Smut, oblivious fools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 15:18:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8922142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katajainen/pseuds/katajainen
Summary: When Nori asks Bofur to play his lover for the sake of some peace from a nosy brother, Bofur is not fool enough to refuse.However, somewhere between Rivendell and Mirkwood the game becomes real – which is evident to all save the two most involved.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goldberry-in-the-rushes (thepottermalfoyproblem)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepottermalfoyproblem/gifts).



> A/N: This started out silly but developed feels on the way... sorry not sorry :)
> 
> ETA: many thanks to [saraste](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Saraste/pseuds/Saraste) for the beta and nit-picking!

Moonlight slanted through the thin winding shapes cut into the stone and painted a pattern of leaves and vines onto the floor. Bofur was sitting on the railing, one leg hanging over the sheer drop to the water below, back against a pillar holding up the floor above. The smoke from his pipe wafted pale in the open night air, soon lost. Elves. What was the use of building in stone, if you built as solid as a smoke ring?

A soft scuffle of boots on stone made him look up, to see someone leaning onto the railing next to him.

‘I need a favour,’ said Nori.

Bofur blinked at him. ‘Nope. I’m _not_ doing your hair.’ If not for the pale silver light picking up the sharp narrow angles of Nori’s face, Bofur would have had a hard time recognizing him with his hair bound back loose and simple after a wash. ‘You have a brother for that.’

‘And that there’s the favour. I need to get him _off_ my hair before I do something I regret.’

‘Dori? How so?’

‘I _can’t_ fight him on the road– not when there’s nowhere to go.’ He stopped and looked intently at Bofur.

‘I need a lover.’

Bofur’s eyebrows fled up into his hat. ‘You really don’t go for subtle, do you?’ He gave Nori a slow once-over. ‘Not that you need to, though.’

‘Can you be serious for two moments together?’ And a glare from under those eyebrows was enough to sober anyone. ‘Dori is trying to pair me up, on the road of all places, and I need to get him fooled.’

‘And you want me for the job? Must say I’m flattered.’ Bofur saw no need to stop the grin tugging at his lips.

‘I’m hardly spoiled for choice, am I? I need someone who’s easy on the eyes and has an ounce of sense not to spoil the game at the first chance– and won’t try to punch me for even suggesting. That leaves you.’

‘Easy on the eyes, am I?’

‘I said there’s not much to choose from, didn’t I?’

‘So you did.’ Bofur paused as if to consider. ‘Fine. I’ll do it, for a favour.’

Nori shook his head slightly. ‘Just don’t try anything–’ Bofur realized his face must have looked a picture, because Nori stopped. ‘ _Anything_ you wouldn’t do with someone you truly were lovers with. Don’t get fancy; nothing is easier to spot than a too fancy ruse.’

‘As you say.’ Bofur grasped a hold of the offered arm to seal the agreement. Under his shirt and tunic, Nori felt like nothing so much as pure sinew, and his answering grip on Bofur’s forearm was solid steel. Any arm-wrestling contest between the two of them would have been anyone’s guess. And as for other kinds of wrestling… but that was a fancy thought, wasn’t it, and so better kept private.

After a moment, Nori nodded and let go. ‘You’ll do. Come on, I said I was getting you for supper.’

That took Bofur back for a bit. ‘You assumed I’d say yes?’

Nori shrugged and looked over his shoulder. ‘You have some sense in you, haven’t you? And I would have said we had argued if you’d said no.’

‘Got a plan for everything, do you? But you’ve taken so long now they must think we’ve gotten from snogging to fucking.’

At least he hadn’t completely lost his skill, because he got Nori laughing for that.

The fire burned high and merry on a wide balcony overlooking the hidden valley. Bofur sat right close to Nori, and did what he would have done with any bedmate: sneaked choice bits from his plate to Nori’s. That got him a quirked eyebrow at first, a small smile after that – and morsels of grilled meat (scrounged up from Mahal knows where) fed to him from the tip of Nori’s knife for desserts.

There were sidelong glances, and Bofur would have hardly expected otherwise; this was the stuff that got the gossip going. What was new was reminding himself that he _could_ steal a look at Nori ever so often amidst telling a well-honed fireside tale. And every now and then he would see a wink or a small wicked grin that he could answer in kind and it would be so simple and fine. They were putting on a good show, no doubt of it.

Deceit should not have come so easy to him.

    *        *        *

Sneaking off into Beorn’s hayloft was surprisingly enjoyable, considering they weren’t doing what people thought they were. Yet it was almost better. Bofur could not remember when he had last lain around with someone, stared at the ceiling and just talked. It must have been back when he and Bom last shared a room, and that was… too long ago. It started innocently enough with a game of ‘what will you do with your fourteenth share’ except that Bofur kept making up more and more outrageous plans just to keep Nori laughing. It was nice to have an appreciative audience.

Then all of a sudden, Nori rolled up to crouch and gave a mine sign for ‘trouble’. Bofur had barely the time for a blink and nod before Nori was straddling him and kissing him to within an inch of his life. He might have made some kind of ‘oomph’ noise before his flailing hands landed on Nori’s hips where they seemed to belong.

There was a loud whistle. Nori’s head snapped around and Bofur followed his gaze into the direction of the hatch.

‘Fuck off!’ Nori growled, and Kíli’s head disappeared from view. Bofur could make out something along the lines of ‘owe me’ and ‘their clothes on’ from below before it was quiet again.

Nori looked down at him. ‘I’m sorry.’ he said softly.

‘You did give me a warning. And that was some quick thinking.’ And some hefty kissing. Without thinking, Bofur ran a tongue over his tingling lips.

As sudden and quick as moments before, Nori rolled off him and sat back in the hay. For a while there was no other sound in the loft but their slowing breath. Then Nori went to peek down the hatch. ‘Should be safe to go,’ he said. ‘That was enough for anyone’s curiosity.’

He didn’t look back before descending, which did a strange turn to Bofur’s heart. _Don’t go wishing_ , he thought to himself.

    *        *        *

Nori was waiting for Bofur right behind the burglar who held the keys to his cell. When Bofur pulled him close, it was for a simple forehead tap of greeting, but Nori clung to him so tight that he could feel the nails through the back of his shirt. ‘It’s fine,’ Bofur found himself saying. ‘We’re fine.’

Nori didn’t open his eyes. ‘The bloody lock that wouldn’t be pried.’ he gritted out. ‘Never– never took so long to get out before.’

Bofur said nothing, but smoothed his hand down his– _Nori’s_ back, as if he were one of Bombur’s wee ones in need of comfort.

Someone patted him on the shoulder. ‘Bofur– Nori; excuse me, but we have to go. We’re not out of the door yet.’

For all that Balin’s polite words made sense, it was a close call Bofur didn’t flip him a rude sign. (Nori probably did.) Instead, he gently pushed himself away from Nori. ‘Nori, love– we need to get going.’

Nori stepped back, nodded, and went without another word.

    *        *        *

Bofur started to worry when Nori switched from ale to whatever the local spirit in Lake-town was– and it was potent enough to have his eyes watering. Feasting was well and fine, but there seemed to be little joy in what Nori was doing.

‘Don’t you think you ought to leave us something for tomorrow?’ Bofur asked gently. No answer. ‘You’re drinking the whole town dry if you go on like that.’ Nothing. ‘Nori, love–’

‘Stop.’ The nearest platters jumped when Nori shot up and banged his fist to the table. ‘Will you just _stop_. It doesn’t matter any more, or are you too daft to see it?’ His eyes were hard and cold in his drink-flushed face. ‘You’re too much. I– I can’t. I need you to _stop._ ’

‘Stop what?’

‘Pretending.’ Nori spat the word like it was something rotten.

Bofur stood up to go after him, but was stopped by a vice of a grip. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Dori asked.

‘To him… I don’t– I don’t understand.’ Bofur sunk back to his seat. ‘I don’t understand what that was,’ he repeated.

‘ _That_ was Nori caring for you and hating himself for it.’

Bofur blinked. ‘No,’ he started, and would have spilled it all if not for the look on Dori’s face.

‘Which of us has known him for longer? It has long since stopped being a game for him. If it ever was.’

‘How long have you known?’

‘As long as everyone else–’ Dori gave a surprisingly sly smile– ‘Nori is not often easy to read, but you, lad, you’re an open book. And after that the rest was easy to deduce.’

It was a good thing Bofur was wearing his hat, but his forehead still made an audible thump against the table. ‘Mahal’s beard and balls,’ he cursed, ‘I’m a fool.’

There was a friendly pat on his shoulder, if a bit on the heftier side. ‘He’ll be back.’

Nori was, but it wasn’t only until the late hours of the next day. Bofur had debated with himself as to what door to watch, and had almost decided on the kitchen one, before Ori had nudged him and told there was a hatch that opened from the attic to the roof.

Moonlight made an expanding pale rectangle onto the floor when hatch was near-silently eased open. Then the room grew momentarily darker again when Nori himself slipped through. His feet made a soft thud on the floor. He looked about him, then seemed to tense without moving.

‘Go away.’ he snapped.

‘No.’ Bofur stepped into the light with his arms held open. ‘No I won’t. Because I doubt if I have even that ounce of sense you said you wanted, but I know a good thing when I see one.’

Nori’s face was in shadow, but the light from the hatch open to the sky cast a strange white-grey halo over his hair. ‘Go away.’ he repeated, softer. ‘I can’t be worrying for yet another one.’

Bofur couldn’t help smiling, not if his life hung on the balance. As long as Nori was talking, he was not going, and Bofur considered himself on the winning side. He got close enough to clasp Nori’s shoulders, the lean muscle of them tense enough to be humming. Bofur let his hands slip down Nori’s arms in a slow caress until he could take his hands into his own. ‘You make _me_ worry; that’s what you do when you care. Please,’ he asked quietly. ‘Please stay.’

‘I’m not good at staying.’

‘For as long as you please, I don’t give a whit. But stay for tonight and make my dreams come true.’

Nori’s laughter was startled but true, even for a joke so old and lame. ‘What kind of dreams would those be?’

‘The kind where you’re wearing much less clothes than now.’ Bofur smiled into the darkness when he felt Nori’s tight-squeezed hands go soft in his, then grip back. He leaned closer still and spoke into their shared breath, into the shadow parting their faces. ‘Mahal’s honest truth, I don’t care how long this lasts, but I care that we might get fried in our boots at the end of the road, and it would be a crying shame not to have you before that.’

Nori’s mouth on his felt much like that first time, that only time in Beorn’s hayloft when it was still summer: fierce, demanding, sweet, and this time there were no interruptions. Instead, Bofur found himself slowly backed up against a wall.

Nori’s hands were freezing cold like the night outside as they slipped under Bofur’s shirt and up, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind. Not when Nori’s warm mouth nipped teasing at his lips. Not when Nori’s skin beneath his clothes felt flushed with heat under his own hands. The metal threaded through Nori’s nipples was skin-warmed as well, and Bofur found out what he had wondered since his first eyeful of Nori in his skin: that the rings were not for decoration only. The way Nori arched into his touch when he gave them a careful flick was proof enough. Bofur grinned into the kiss, then gasped when Nori ground hard against him.

‘Save the fancy for later,’ Nori whispered against his neck, and hummed when Bofur let his hands slip down to grip his behind and pull him closer. Quick with no frills with a promise of ‘later’– that was something he could happily take.

Especially so, when Nori’s ‘no frills’ was winding away the scarf around his neck, and a warm mouth latching onto his neck just below the ear. When Bofur could wrap one leg over Nori’s and they would _fit_ , like mortar and pestle do. When with each thrust of his hips Nori would pin him against the wall, linger to drag the bulge in his trousers over Bofur’s own arousal, and every hitch of breath chipped off another sliver of pleasure that kept piling up, building to bring him higher, faster, closer.

Nori’s mouth was on his, and Bofur's hands were in that wonderful impossible hair, mussing it beyond recognition, and Nori’s hands were so warm now when they sneaked under the waist of his trousers as far as they would go, fingertips just reaching the top of his buttocks, nails flickering on skin a tease, a promise, and Nori broke the kiss to speak breathless soft against his mouth. ‘This is what I get for staying?’

‘Yes,’ Bofur breathed, ‘yes please Nori oh please–’ and that was his world now, lips drinking in his pleas, fingernails burning sharp into his skin, hips pinning him hard where he would push back up up and up and the heavy relentless rolling pressure right where he was aching that pulled him and pushed him until he was falling, no scrabbling onto the edge this time, but plunging hard and fast like the floor suddenly had dropped from under his boots. And Nori was in his arms, steel and sinew and fire and holding onto him for dear life as they went down together.

Holding onto him for a time: today, tomorrow, and the days after, for as long as it would do for him to stay.


End file.
